When The Jealous Sound’s Blair Shehan opens his mouth to sing, people pay attention. In my slightly compromised state yesterday evening, I recall, in my mind, likening Shehan’s voice to an eagle soaring out of an angry, churning volcano. It was slightly road-weary, but still a powerful thing to behold especially because it was right in front of me. Shehan and the rest of the Jealous Sound lit up an otherwise dull Wednesday night with a lively performance at the Triple Rock. This gig would end a five week tour for the band.

Opening up the show was local band Crash/Burn/Repeat who warmed up the crowd with their own brand of spirited rock ‘n roll. Their set was great fun to watch. Lead singer ZaQ even scored some brownie points with obscure 90s film-buffs when he mentioned the band’s rousing song “Glory Daze” was a reference to a comedy of the same name featuring recent Oscar-winner Ben Affleck.

Soon after, the Jealous Sound took to the stage and kicked into “Hope for Us,” the first song off of the band’s classic 2003 debut Kill Them With Kindness. The band had a lot of energy and sounded amazing; new tunes like “Change You” and “This Is Where it Starts” sprung to life. Most of the Jealous Sound’s songs have a gradual build before blossoming into a starry
wash of melody; this is most notable on songs like the beautiful “Promise of the West.” Dexterous drummer Bob Penn kept the songs grounded and his liberal use of the hi-hat cymbal probably gave half the audience whiplash. Meanwhile, bearded guitarist Michael Richardson effortlessly worked his guitar from urgent staccato to a lovely hum as Jeremy Tappero’s insistent bass undulated beneath. Amdist the shower of sound, Shehan wailed impassioned lyrics like: “I don't wanna start a war with you/I just wanna love some more/I don't wanna feel this way/I don't wanna start a war.”

The set relied heavily on the band’s newest album A Gentle Reminder, but some older songs like “Got Friends” from the band’s 2008 EP of the same name and fan favorites like “Anxious Arms” and “Abandon! Abandon!” off of Kill Them With Kindness really got people excited. Tappero and Richardson stepped off stage briefly for a stark, memorable performance of “Cold Enough to Break,” a nod to Shehan’s former band Knapsack. The grand finale was what I consider to be the band’s finest song: “Naïve,” an anthemic swirl of bombast and emotion that crescendo-ed with sugar-rush guitar and a pogo-worthy chorus that likely put the smile back on any sourpuss’ face. Talk about ending on a high note.

When The Jealous Sound’s Blair Shehan opens his mouth to sing, people pay attention. In my slightly compromised state yesterday evening, I recall, in my mind, likening Shehan’s voice to an eagle soaring out of an angry, churning volcano. It was slightly road-weary, but still a powerful thing to behold especially because it was right in front of me. Shehan and the rest of the Jealous Sound lit up an otherwise dull Wednesday night with a lively performance at the Triple Rock. This gig would end a five week tour for the band.

Opening up the show was local band Crash/Burn/Repeat who warmed up the crowd with their own brand of spirited rock ‘n roll. Their set was great fun to watch. Lead singer ZaQ even scored some brownie points with obscure 90s film-buffs when he mentioned the band’s rousing song “Glory Daze” was a reference to a comedy of the same name featuring recent Oscar-winner Ben Affleck.

Soon after, the Jealous Sound took to the stage and kicked into “Hope for Us,” the first song off of the band’s classic 2003 debut Kill Them With Kindness. The band had a lot of energy and sounded amazing; new tunes like “Change You” and “This Is Where it Starts” sprung to life. Most of the Jealous Sound’s songs have a gradual build before blossoming into a starry
wash of melody; this is most notable on songs like the beautiful “Promise of the West.” Dexterous drummer Bob Penn kept the songs grounded and his liberal use of the hi-hat cymbal probably gave half the audience whiplash. Meanwhile, bearded guitarist Michael Richardson effortlessly worked his guitar from urgent staccato to a lovely hum as Jeremy Tappero’s insistent bass undulated beneath. Amdist the shower of sound, Shehan wailed impassioned lyrics like: “I don't wanna start a war with you/I just wanna love some more/I don't wanna feel this way/I don't wanna start a war.”

The set relied heavily on the band’s newest album A Gentle Reminder, but some older songs like “Got Friends” from the band’s 2008 EP of the same name and fan favorites like “Anxious Arms” and “Abandon! Abandon!” off of Kill Them With Kindness really got people excited. Tappero and Richardson stepped off stage briefly for a stark, memorable performance of “Cold Enough to Break,” a nod to Shehan’s former band Knapsack. The grand finale was what I consider to be the band’s finest song: “Naïve,” an anthemic swirl of bombast and emotion that crescendo-ed with sugar-rush guitar and a pogo-worthy chorus that likely put the smile back on any sourpuss’ face. Talk about ending on a high note.